Creating the ideal customer experience is all about offering support in your content, as well as on social media. The importance of good customer service cannot be overemphasized, considering that 64% of people find customer experience more important than price when making a purchase.Giving your clients a positive customer experience will determine your success. This doesn’t mean your product needs to always be perfect. Making mistakes is a reality of business. However, customers need to be able to resolve those mistakes quickly.The most common way companies make this possible is with a big customer support team or a call center, where customers can call or email in case of an issue. However, there are other ways a business can, and should, offer effective customer support solutions.An Amdocs Survey from Coleman Parkes found that “an overwhelming 91 percent of respondents said they would use a single, online knowledgebase if it were available and tailored to their needs.”You need to create an online knowledge base for your customers, and for your customer support team. It takes some careful and concentrated upfront work to get started, but the benefits could be substantial for your customers and your bottom line.
Add an FAQ Section to Your Website
First of all, any serious business should have a modern, professional website. The website gives the company an online presence, where potential and existing customers can interact with your products and services. They get to know what a product does and how it can help them. Having an FAQ section on the website will help you answer some of the common questions clients have.FAQs provide valuable information for existing and potential buyers. To have a comprehensive FAQ section, you have to find out what key things customers would like to know about you and what you have to offer. Once you do, the FAQ should attempt to answer all those questions and give valuable information to help customers make decisions or resolve problems they might be having with your product or service.Many businesses overlook their FAQ section or simply lack resources, time and know-how to conduct and create a proper FAQ. However, research from SurveyMonkey shows that putting in some focused effort will effectively reduce basic customer support inquiries, improve customer experiences, and let your team focus on bigger issues.An FAQ page can also increase sales. When you answer the customer questions, you can link to product pages and to your online shop. Having answered the question of the client, they may opt to buy your product immediately.
Create Blog Content that Addresses Customer Issues
An FAQ section is usually a list of brief questions and answers. To go into more detail, you should consider posting blogs that tackle more complex issues your customers could have. A great way to do this is to ask your customers! This gives you the benefit of the “outsider’s point of view,” says YFS. “When you’re working internally, it can be easy to get tunnel vision. [But] when you ask your audience for their input, they feel valued.”Ask current customers questions they had initially and questions that they still have. (Incentivizing this process with a discount, extra service, or gift card is a good idea!)Then, find the solution to prevent those questions, and highlight that solution in a blog post. We did in our blog post 6 Common Misconceptions About Virtual Receptionist Services. This post addressed common questions from prospective customers and compiled thorough answers in one convenient place. You can include content like this in your sales pitch, and share it online to further expand your brand.You can also share this info with customers in emails and newsletters to diversify your social media content. Even if you’re not a content writer, adding this info offers easily understandable, actionable steps toward a solution.Providing needed info on your blog and FAQ will reduce the number of support case for your team to handle. This will cut operational costs and improve your business overall. When customers do eventually call for additional guidance – after becoming familiar with your support-related content – you will have a much higher potential for a successful support interaction.
Engage with Customers on Social Media
In today’s digital world, social media is inescapable. As a business, your social media presence can’t just be about sales. Your strategy needs to offer real-time solutions to problems. After all, 72% of people who complain on Twitter expect a response within an hour! You can’t afford to ignore them. “A quick ‘Please DM us to resolve your issue’ or a simple tweet saying ‘We’re on it![‘ is more than adequate- you don’t need an immediate solution. You just need to acknowledge the customer’s issue,” says Nexa Receptionists.Monitor and respond to all social media queries. Failure to do so could create the impression you don’t care about the customer experience, which will lose clients.Social media platforms are key to building relationships. So find the right balance between self-promotion, entertainment and sharing content that addresses problems your customers face. Help Scout reports that 70% of customers will repeat business with you again if you resolve a complaint in their favor.Having an FAQ section, blog posts and social media updates working together will enhance your customer experience, but don’t stop there!
Set Up a YouTube Channel
YouTube is one of the best places to create an online knowledge base. Business Insider’s Ben Gilbert reports that YouTube is attracting over 1.8 billion users every month.If you don’t know where to begin, try making a simple product review video, then move onto more complex support-related DIY videos and how-to guides. When you’re ready for the big leagues, consider YouTube Live to host podcasts or webinars. Going live will allow you to go in-depth on a wide range of subjects, and engage with your audience in real-time.Getting started with a YouTube channel may sound complex but doing so will be worth your while. If a customer searches for a support solution and finds your video content, you will be able to help that customer in a far more sophisticated, easily-digestible manner.
Move Forward With An Exceptional Customer Experience
“The ever-increasing influence of technology in our daily lives means the importance of solid self-support options can’t be understated,” says Nexa Receptionists. “Your customers want the option to try to solve a problem on their own time.”Content like FAQs, blog posts, and YouTube videos will diversify your social media. They will also create a win-win solution for both you and the customer. Your customers can conveniently find solutions without having the frustration of hold times; and you can let your support team focus on proactively fixing issues for success in the future, rather than reacting to problems in the past.Provide your audience with quality service and create an unforgettable customer experience.